How IIT Guwahati student Uditansh Raghuvanshi discovered a passion for javelin outside of academics

The student, who moved from Uttar Pradesh to Kota at the age of 16 to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), discovered an unexpected interest in athletics after joining the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. Now in his third year of chemical engineering, Uditansh Raghuvanshi represented the institute at the Inter-IIT sports meet and became the joint secretary of its sports council.

In a personal account published by The Indian Express, Raghuvanshi reflected on how his experience at IIT extended beyond academia, helping him discover javelin, develop an interest in sports administration and rethink what he wanted to get out of college.

Hailing from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, the 20-year-old comes from a family with a strong academic background. Both his parents are teachers while his grandfather is a retired college professor. Education and building a career through academic achievement were central to his upbringing.

Raghuvanshi scored an All India Rank (AIR) of 4,716 in JEE Main and 5,013 in JEE Advanced in 2024. He chose chemical engineering at IIT Guwahati for its combination of scientific learning and practical application, as well as opportunities to explore interests outside his department, he wrote in The Indian Express.

From Kota to discovering athletics at IIT Guwahati

Moving to Kota after Class 10 taught Raghuvanshi the importance of consistency, managing one’s schedule independently and handling the pressure of competitive exams.

However, coming to IIT Guwahati exposed him to a different environment. He adapted to Assam, its culture and food and got involved in campus activities including Alchering, E-Cell and Consulting and Analytics Club. He also started attending sporting events and eventually tried track and field.

Raghuvanshi was not a competitive athlete during school. However, he found himself drawn to the javelin, a sport that requires technique, timing, strength and concentrated effort.

He subsequently incorporated strength training and weightlifting into his routine. Over time, athletics became a regular part of his life, giving him a break from academic work and helping him return to his studies with greater clarity, he said in a news release.

Inter-IIT experience sparked an interest in sports administration

Raghuvanshi eventually represented IIT Guwahati in athletics at the Inter-IIT Sports Meet. Although he did not return with a medal, this experience allowed him to better understand the demands of representing the institute and the work required to organize sports competitions.

He became interested in coordination, logistics and decision-making in the organization of sports events. This curiosity led him to the sports council of the institute, where he eventually became the joint secretary.

The position changed his view of the sport. Instead of focusing only on improving his own performance, he began to think about how the institute could make sports accessible to students with different interests and abilities.

In his report, Raghuvanshi described the shift as a shift from asking how he could improve as an athlete to thinking about how to improve the sports environment for everyone, including students who wanted to stay active or try a sport for the first time.

A lesson in patience, consistency and uncertainty

Raghuvanshi also reflected on how athletics taught him to recognize progress, even if it wasn’t immediately apparent. Consistent training, he wrote, often requires patience, as improvements can only appear after weeks of effort.

He said the lesson extended beyond sports to his coursework and responsibilities at the Sports Council. Learning to trust the process and keep working even when progress seemed slow became an important part of his IIT experience.

Apart from academics and athletics, his time at IIT Guwahati was also shaped by friendships, hostel life, late-night conversations and spontaneous food trips with students from different parts of the country.

Still in his third year, Raghuvanshi said he had not yet decided what he wanted to do after graduation. One of the most valuable things IIT gave him, he reflected, was the ability to remain open to different possibilities rather than feeling compelled to plan every phase of his future in advance.

This experience also led him to discover an unexpected connection to his family’s education. While his parents and grandfather helped others learn through teaching, Raghuvanshi believes his own experience in athletics and sports administration helped him develop a similar instinct to create opportunities for others.